BUFFALO GROVE PLAN FALLS FLAT WITH IDOT

Buffalo Grove trustees got residents behind them when they asked the Illinois Department of Transportation to make changes in a plan to widen Illinois Highway 83 through the village.

But IDOT`s message to the village is: Don`t hold your breath.

The trustees` requests were met with applause when they were announced at a packed meeting Monday night. It was quite a contrast to a meeting on Oct. 2, when more than 50 residents argued with village plan commissioners over the state`s plans to widen Illinois 83 to four lanes from two.

In particular, the trustees said they would ask IDOT not to create dual turn lanes at Illinois 83 and Busch Road and to erect an 8-foot wooden fence along the road.

But state officials said Tuesday that they may not take the trustees`

suggestions. ''Our recommendation for capacity at that intersection says those lanes are needed,'' said Lydia Pilecky, an IDOT official working on the project. ''I`m not in a position to say whether the department could live with anything less.''

She also said an 8-foot wooden fence would not stop road noise from reaching residents` ears. That type of fence is ''not our standard policy,''

she said.

Trustees unanimously approved the widening Monday, with the addition of their suggestions. But IDOT does not have to take the suggestions and does not technically need village approval in order to proceed.

''It would have been easy for us to support the original IDOT plan,''

said Trustee Jeffrey Braiman before the vote. ''But we`ve had more public input on this project than any other project I can recall.''

Indeed, many of the same people who cheered the board`s changes to the plan had expressed outrage at earlier meetings that the village could support widening Illinois 83. Most focused their anger on the dual turn lanes.

''I applaud the resolution,'' said village resident Lee Carpenter. ''The double left-turn lane was the only thing I was against and it takes care of that.''

Giselle Roberts, who could lose up to 20 feet of her lavishly landscaped back yard under the IDOT plan, expressed hope at the board`s proposal.

''I`m trying to keep this land up for my retirement and my children,''

she said. ''The new proposal could eliminate all of the taking.''

The board also considered a proposed plan to widen Busch Road to five lanes from two. Most members supported throwing out the five-lane plan for a three-lane road, with the center lane to be used for left turns.

''This is a village road,'' said Trustee Bruce Kahn. ''I would like to keep it that way.''